When a rival stumbles, politicians of all stripes move quickly to take advantage.

Dallas County Republicans are no exception. They are using the indictment of Democratic powerhouse John Wiley Price as a way to gain traction before November’s general election.

They say Democrats sat still as Price and his cronies allegedly engaged in corruption schemes, including bribery and tax evasion. The charges, outlined by federal authorities Friday, already are serving as a GOP campaign manifesto of sorts.

Price, the longtime county commissioner and the most recognizable Democrat in North Texas, pleaded not guilty. He’s returned to work pending a trial that could be a year or more away.

He was indicted along with top aide Dapheny Fain and political operatives Kathy Nealy and Christian Lloyd Campbell. All have denied wrongdoing.

Just hours after the charges were announced Friday, Republican Ron Natinsky predicted that Price’s legal troubles would be an issue in his efforts to oust Democratic incumbent Clay Jenkins as county judge.

Natinsky, a former Dallas City Council member, said Jenkins and other Democrats are to blame for part of the problem.

“They sit next to each other on the Commissioners Court,” Natinsky said on Sunday’s edition of Lone Star Politics on KXAS-TV (NBC5). “This has been going on for years, and it involves county business.”

Natinsky said voters frequently ask him about the federal investigation into county business. He called the long-anticipated charges against Price “sobering.”

He then took to his Facebook page and asked for campaign donations.

“Bribery, corruption, tax fraud — all under the nose of the current County Judge,” Natinsky wrote. “Help clean up Dallas County and get her back on course.”

Jenkins snapped back with his own fundraising appeal, from campaign treasurer George “Tex” Quesada.

He said Jenkins has sought to improve wages for county workers, helped bolster Parkland Memorial Hospital and combated the West Nile virus.

He “doesn’t let politics get in the way of doing what’s right. When he sees a problem, he works to find a solution to help people,” Quesada said in an email that makes no mention of the Price scandal.

Other Democrats acknowledge that dealing with a corruption inquiry is not ideal, but they said their slate of candidates in the fall races should be able to distance themselves from Price.

Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins, who has also faced federal scrutiny, is not a strong ally of Price. He comes from a newer generation of Democratic politicos.

He’s running for re-election against former state District Judge Susan Hawk, a Republican who has raised questions about Watkins’ ethics. He had disputed her allegations.

Jenkins, early in his term, battled the perception he was Price’s puppet.

Since then, Jenkins has developed his own identity and has insisted that Price’s problems won’t derail his work to improve county government.

“They are not part of that machine and represent a different generation of Democrats,” said Jason Stanford, a consultant who does research work for Jenkins. “That machine doesn’t exist anymore.”

Republicans have not won a contested countywide race since 2004. But GOP operatives are banking on outrage over Price’s activities to swing enough votes in their favor in close contests this time.

Commissioners return to work next month, and county GOP Chairman Wade Emmert said he plans to ask them to call on Price to step down, pending the outcome of his case.

That won’t happen. Democrats hold four out of the five seats.

Still, it will be useful for Republicans wanting to pound the message that county government needs overhauling.

“They should not want him to stay in a position of trust he is alleged to have betrayed,” Emmert said.

NOTES

Natinsky questions Jenkins’ shelter plan

Natinsky also has slammed Jenkins over his plan to house up to 2,000 migrant children in Dallas County.

Natinsky said he’s against the proposal because it “was not well thought out.” He said there were plenty of children already in Dallas County who needed help and foster care.

“It’s unfortunate that these kids are being wrapped in the middle of a political issue,” Natinsky said on Lone Star Politics. “It’s unfair to take the immigrant kids, all of a sudden, and put them in the front of the line.”

Thousands of kids have crossed the country’s southern border, mostly from Central American trouble spots.

Jenkins earlier said they had hoped the children would start arriving this week in Dallas County, but the facilities that would house them have not been approved.

Will Price be seeking re-election in 2016?

It could take years for Price’s federal case to come to trial. That means he’ll have to decide whether to run for re-election in 2016. And, if he does opt for another term, he may face significant opposition in the Democratic primary. In 2012, he easily won a primary challenge amid the cloud of the federal investigation. Don’t be surprised if Dallas City Council member Dwaine Caraway, a longtime Price adversary, runs for his seat, even if it’s not open.